Brownsfield Mill

SJ 8498 SE, 698-1/29/16

MANCHESTER, BINNS PLACE (West side (off)), Brownsfield Mill

11.11.88

G.V.

II*

Cotton spinning mill, built as a room and power mill. Now in use as cash-and-carry premises. Built c1825 and extended shortly afterwards to form an L-plan. Brick, rendered to all but SW elevation; slate roofs; cast-iron and timber internal structure. Main block of c1825 is parallel to the Rochdale Canal: 7 storeys, 12 bays, with internal engine house at gable end marked by round-arched openings to SW. Small windows with segmentally arched brick-heads. Small privy tower on N elevation, which also has taking-in doors on lower floors to E of centre. 6-storeyed 7-bay wing at right angles to this range a slightly later addition, probably used for warehousing. It has central full-height loading bay, and privy and stair turret enclosing chimney, built at angle of the two ranges, with main entrance at base of tower. The chimney is now Manchester's oldest surviving mill chimney. Original site of boilers probably in detached fireproof room situated beneath the level of the yard. Internal construction has cast-iron columns carrying heavy timber beams which directly carry floor boards.

Included as an excellent example of an early C19 mill, its plan form typical of early Manchester mills, and which in its detailed layout and design demonstrates the development of an industrial architecture in the relationships between function and plan. A rare surviving example of a type of construction employing heavy timber and cast iron, a system which provided load-bearing strength (well-suited to room-and-power mills in which upper floors would also be used for very heavy machinery) and slow-burn properties.

Listing NGR: SJ8489298407